History is full of things the general public have been restricted from doing or experiencing right up to this very day in every part of the world. These can range from cultural items like books and films to narcotics or the wearing of certain items of clothing in institutions or countries.

There is almost as many reasons to ban something as there are things banned. Whether for public safety, political motivations or reasons of taste things are prohibited from US. The season of ‘Banned films that changed cinema’, at the Star and Shadow celebrates some of the films that have been banned from the silent era to the end of the 20th Century.

The list of films that could be part of this season are many and the reasons for which we were forbidden to see them range from a perception of blasphemy to self censorship.

The ones that were chosen were also banned for different reasons but have also had a huge impact on public perception and the art of cinema since.